Starbucks sued after allegedly serving drinks containing blood

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A California family says it got drinks at a Starbucks containing blood, and the store admitted one of their baristas had cut themselves.

The family said Starbucks offered to pay for free drinks.

Amanda Vice’s daughter, Payton, has always had a sweet tooth. Back in 2016, she ordered a Frappuccino at a Starbucks in San Bernardino. And she took a few sips.

“She was licking the whipped cream where it had been sitting on top,” says Vice.

What Vice didn’t realize at first is the drink contained more than chocolate and whipped cream. There was blood on and inside their cups.

She told KCBS-TV’s Tina Patel she found blood in places you’re not supposed to see blood.

“It was on the inside of the rim of my Frappuccino,” she said.

After Vice called Starbucks, she says they confirmed that a barista had been bleeding and they agreed to have her stop making drinks. They also, she said, offered her free drinks for a week.

“I thought it was sort of belittling,” she says.

Vice says she was worried about her health and that of her daughter. She didn’t know if ingesting the blood could get them sick.

“I thought maybe I’d be a little more at peace if they would have her tested, the one who was bleeding,” Vice said.

But she said the store didn’t agree to testing the employee, so she turned to an attorney. He says filing a lawsuit, two years later, is their last resort.

“The intention was always to try and resolve this with Starbucks. And had they acted in a responsible way, we wouldn’t be here today,” said Stan Pekler.

Starbucks wouldn’t answer specific questions about the case, but they did provide a statement that read, “We are aware of this claim that allegedly took place in 2016, and are prepared to present our case in court.”

Vice is hoping the company will make changes so something like this never happens again. But in the meantime, she’s careful about what she orders, wherever she goes.

“We’re constantly double-checking everything, because now I don’t trust, I don’t trust anybody,” she says.